Pump valve



July 15, 1952 F R, splNNlEY 2,603,452

PUMP VALVE Filed April 4, 1949 fen/wd 1?. .SPW/wax IN VEN TOR.

" tilted position.

y.assembled and disassembled.

Patented July 15,1952

sixteen and two-thirds ypercent to'John Kirk, V sixteen and two-thirds per cent to vOllie Jones,v thirty per cent to Charles' J. Jones, 'sixteen' and f two-thirds per cent to Thomas G.'Jon es, `and Pasadena., Calif.

Apialieatiqn Aprii 4, 1949, serial Nassaesf z claims. (organi-'144) My invention relates to valve structures and .particularly to the valve structures of pumps designed for handling liquids containing solid matter which causes improper functioning of valves of previous construction.

An illustrative use of the valve structures of "'fmy invention is the making of Wines in which the juice pressed out of the grapes in the pressing A' vats has to be pumped out of the vats. As the liquid to be pumped contains grapeskins and seeds, it frequently happens in the case of valves as'previously constructed that such solid matter lodges between the valve and its seat and in the cage to prevent proper opening and full and complete closure of the valve so that the pump is Y rendered partly or Wholly ineffective to circulate y'the liquid at full pump capacity.

' It is Yan object of myinvention to provide a valve construction in which it is practically impossible for the solid matter contained in a liquid being pumped to interfere with the proper functioning of the valve. My valve provides for maximum freedom of ow of liquid and any solid matter entrained therewith around the valve 507.25

as to minimize the possibility of such solid matter lodging in the valve structure and preventing its proper closure.

engagement with its seat notwithstanding its clean to fully and completely close and eliminate the possibility of leakage.

It is also desirable .or necessary to dismantle the valve structures from time to time, and it is a further object of my invention to provide a valve structure which comprises a small number of parts which may be very easily and quickly Another object of my invention is to provide a valve incorporating the features above described and, in addition, one particularly adapted for use in the pumping of light liquids, means being provided therein to accelerate return of the valve to its seat and thereby prevent any The tiltingv movement of thev valve is' `effective to prevent corrosion and 'scoring l'of the valve since the area of contact of the valve withvthe valve seat is continually varying. Also, lsuch tilting movement of the` valve when in con- 4tact with the valve seat causes the latter to scrape the'valve surface free of any accumulationsl of 'solid matter thereon, and thus the valve is kept ten per cent to Richard` G`. Baender, all ofl Delano, and five per cent to Charlotte'F. Webb',

'bacl''n'w 'cfg'.ifiqiiid t0-ftiipuma1afndalso prevent ,Y chattering`or pounding ofthe valve.

Still yfurther'obje'cts and features of my inventicn will hereinafter appear fromthenfollovving specication taken inconjunction .withy theA accompanying Ldvlravvirigs which lillustratev 4embodimentsmofv the invention'at present deemedpref- Verab'lgbyrna but itis tobe understood that `AAvarious changes and rifiodiicationsA ofparts may `vbe made by those skilled inthe artv Without departing, from the scope of the invention as intended to be dened by the appended'claims.

bini-'the accompanyingdrawings;

Fig. 1, is a lsection through onefcrmfof the valve Iarmy invention, takenlon the line I-i of "f ,cated by the circles in Fig. 1. Fig 4 is a perspectiveview sho.

the une +3 of Fig. 2, showing the parts indi- Wing `the rings seen in Fig. 3 and on a reduced's'cale.

Y VvFig. 5^is a sectionsimilar to Fig. 1 butshQWing a modified form ofthe valve.

g Fig.' 6 'is agvievv showingv the retainer ring of Fig. 5 in perspective and on a reduced scale.

' In the drawings the numeral Vl0 indicates generally the valve cage in which is mounted a semispherical valve member generally indicated at I2. 'ifhe'valve cage provides -a preferablyl tapered ila@ rscrew' threaded end'flll by which the `valve cage may be mountedin position in a pipe 1I51or other part provided With a mating are'd and `screvv threaded socket; l The body of the cage is formed as a ringv I8 provided vvithA a sharply f angled valve seatl I9, extending;circumferentially of 'the valve boda 1 rhgvaive Iz. asshownmrig.. 1 is of shape to. `itgaccurately onwthe'valvel ,seatin any tilted position it' may assume in functioning.` Preferably, as shown the valve is formed with a semispherical valve seat engaging area and is sufciently heavy to make perfect contact around the rim of the valve seat Whether tilted or not. I prefer to form the valve as a segment 20 of a relatively thick walled sphere and to provide it with a. centrally located boss 22 which is eilective to increase the Weightof the valve, as Well as to adapt it to usewith a spring if required as will be later explained. The shape of the valve described Will be seen to provide a Well balanced and self seating arrangement.

It is an important feature of my invention that the valve is free to tilt in its movements and will 3 still accurately engage the valve seat for which reason the cage is provided with means to limit the .upward movement of the valve and retain it in thevalve cage but which do notzgu'ide Aor in any way constrain the'valve otherwise,

The limiting means, in the form of the invention shown, comprises three upwardly projecting and equally spaced cage arms 24 extendingfiroxn, and preferably formed integral with, the body of the cage. The arms 2l! are "'formed'adjacen't Vtheir upper ends with shoulders ,2110i .and'vvithV grooves 2Gb .spaced above'the shoulders. Aretainer ring 26 is positioneduponfthe shoulders 24a and retained in position-.by a .split spring ring 28 which is Vsprungzinto,position.in.the1.

grooves 2412.

The spring ring is preferably .provided with holes or depressions 28a adjacentithesplit linA thej ring, to Yenable the ring to be contracted by-the use'of ra special tool, whereby it may be readily Withdrawn from engagement in the grooves 2411-.

The retaining .ring 26 is.,made .suiciently wide l toextend inwardly-beyond .the upper end .ofIthe Halve;

, nthemodied form of the invention shownV .in Fig. -.the.valve'cage, valve seat, valve, and

spring ring 281are all identical vvith'the correthe same peripheral line. The valve is very sensi-Y tive .to variations in fluid pressures since it is not subject to friction caused by the valve guidesv ump valve for valve 4vstems .usually providedi structures. Y f v' i When the valve requires, for anyreasom to be 'taken apart, the split spring ring can be readily sponding parts already described with referencev to Figs..1.through 3 and -areidentified .by rthe `same numerals butthe retainer ringis of vmodied .,constructlon. Y

The retainer ring 30 shown inFig. 5 is formed with a center boss. 32 connected by radialiarms 33 Withthe .ringasfor instanceby being cast together therewith. Theboss .32 is .aligned with boss 22 and a helical spring 34 is positioned on the bosses which is eifective to increase the speed with which the valve is returned to its seatand thus to prevent any Yback oW of liquid to the pump. This valve .is Vintended for use when 1v.removed from the grooves in the arms of the cage after which the retainer ring and valve may be merely' lifted out.

"What I claim is:

.1.A valve structure comprising a ring shaped .bodyhaving on the upper edge of its inner pe- Vripherya sharp angled valve seat, a semi-spheri- A rvcal valve `offconcavo-convex formation having its-convex:sidezlowermost and normally resting on thel valvese'at, a boss integral with the valve and positioned on the concave side at the center thereof vand operating to center the valve on the seat, a cage comprising upwardly extending arms integral with andequis'paced' about. theperiphery of .the body, .the arms Vbeing".-spaced outwardly from .the seat-so .as to be outofcontact, with the valve to permit freelifting. and tilting. off-fthe valve, upwardly facing ,shoulders adjacent .the .upper ends of .the arms grooves adjacent the upper-ends .of thearrns and between. the. shoulders and'theends, of the. arms, a iatringlike vvalve retaining .memberepositioned on the shoulders .and a resilientv at split ring engaging `.the

.grooves and held thereby so as .to holdthe retain- Y fing.v member ,in position, the ,retaining .member serving to limit the upvvardand y.opening.movement of ,thev valve. 'but ,allowing free 'liftingand tilting. movement thereof.

"2. A valve structureas denedinQand..byf claim 1 whereinthe retaining memberhas .adownvvaitdlyv extending boss adjacent the .center thereof,

pumping very light liquids toeffect rapid closure Vof the valve, and to reduce chattering and pounding of the valve on its seat.

- It VWill be noted that .the features of the valve structure. shown in Figs.l 1 through 3 are also,l present in the valve structure'shown in Fig. 5, sincey the spring is sufficiently exlble to allow '.-thevalveto tiltaon its-seat as the valveis nor- ;mally freefrom contact with the. vertical :arms .274.

iInf.operation1the valveV .shown .ineitherFig 1 l orEig.,5.is..iritermittently raised fromitsseatby ...the iiow of. :liquidundertheoperationof .a pump, .and in-.,.practice tilts. in. one` direction -oranother Vin sdoingVWith the result :that `a Aconstantvariatior'rin .the position of the line of contact between .lfthewalve .surface and the-.sharp angledcircular valveseat.takeplaca .Thus the wear ofthe valve is distributed over a considerable area, and the .seat engaging areais kept'free from corrosion as .wellassolid matteraccumulations which would soccur if..the fvalve. alwayscontacted its seat along the .boss being vertically ,aligned with .but spacedfrornthe -bossof .the valve and. a: coil .spriDgQsurroundingthealignedbosses, `the coil springading. in forcing the valve to seat.

ERANK n'. .sPINNEYf A REFERENCES 'errno Y Y, The following references are .of record Ainfrthe nie of this patent: -j f.

UNITED STATESPA'IIEI'I'S' 

